Trying to explain what the Attack on Titan Anthology is can be surprisingly difficult. The short answer, is that it’s an anthology from Kodansha Comics featuring American comic creators telling stories inspired by and based upon Hajime Isayama’s hit franchise, Attack on Titan. That doesn’t quite do it justice though, nor does it really delve into the depth of talent among the roughly 30 creators who contributed stories to it. If that wasn’t enough, the stories run the gamut from comedy strips, to stories placing Isayama’s creation into new and different worlds, to stories set in the world Attack on Titan fans know and which sit neatly alongside the rest of the franchise. Suffice it to say, the Attack on Titan Anthology probably has something for anyone holding even a passing interest in the franchise.

Highpoints in this collection include “Attack on Attack on Titan” from Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dwyer. It’s a series of wonderfully satirical comic strips which skewer the franchise and is easily the funniest thing in the book and, probably, the best comedic handling based on the franchise to date. Another high point comes from Genevieve Valentine and David Lopez, “An Illustrated Guide to the Glorious Walled Cities.” Set in the years before the start of Isayama’s main series, it It’s less of a comic and more of a travelogue providing a glimpse into life, fashion and travel behind the walls, while also hinting at the darker secrets at the heart of the human civilization. It’s absolutely gorgeous with beautiful maps, location shots, sections about fashion trends, travel and more. It does so much to flesh out the world of Attack on Titan that it almost feels like it should be supplemental material found in the back of the original manga.

Some tales take the Titans out of their original setting, like Si Spurrier’s “Fee Fie Foh”, which sees the Titans relocated to a feudal England and explores the methods and means employed by the people to survive. It’s a beautifully illustrated story about survival and responsibility. Similarly, Scott Snyder’s “Under the Surface” sees the Titans thrown into a near future world on the brink of social and economic collapse, taking on the role of heralds of the end times. Even these aren’t all serious and brooding, as Sam Humphries’ “Attack on Playtime” uses the Titans to enact a schoolyard revenge fantasy in a contemporary elementary school setting.

Still other stories sit perfectly at home alongside the other Attack on Titan side stories and series. Stories like Rhianna Pratchett and Ben Applegate’s “Skies Above” explores the cost of suppressed technologies and knowledge by the royal family, while Asaf and Tomer’s Hanuka offer one of the more emotional and haunting stories with “Memory Maze,” a tale of one family’s loss and suffering at the hands of the Titans.

The wide variety of talents, styles, settings and stories on offer in Attack on Titan Anthology means that there’s almost guaranteed to be something for everyone. If you don’t like one story, wait a few pages and you might like the next one. It’s such a rare thing to see American creators working on a Japanese franchise, that it’s fascinating to see how they interpret the world or the roles of the Titans. It also shows how versatile the massive creatures are, something that’s touched upon in the introduction by the original Attack on Titan editor who mentions that Isayama had hoped to make the Titans and giants in general a popular monster. Well, if this anthology is anything to go by, it looks like he’s succeeding.

Attack on Titan Anthology will be available on Oct. 18th from Kodansha Comics. Review copy of Attack on Titan Anthology provided by the publisher.

Yato’s trapped in the underworld and is at the mercy of the nightmarish, Izanami! Can his friends rescue him from the land of the dead? And if they do, what will the revelations of Yato’s family mean to the world of Noragami? All this and more in Noragami, Vols. 10 – 12 from Adachitoka.

After several volumes away, it was nice to return to Noragami, a series which took me by surprise and has been one of the more consistent and enjoyable shonen series I’ve come across. Despite a slight gap in the volumes I’ve read, it wasn’t difficult to slide back into the world and story of Noragami. Adachitoka has done a fantastic job at weaving together world building elements that also grow and develop the characters. This is most obvious in these volumes with the exploration of Yato’s past which helps fill out the world, while also shedding light on his personality and motivations. It all happens smoothly and feels like a natural outgrowth of the events and the character’s decision rather than something that’s occurring because of the plot requires it to.

A wonderful shot of Izanami’s creepy design.

The artwork continues to be moody, favoring the slightly darker and grimmer aspects of the story, but Adachitoka also shows that they’re capable of silliness and goofiness. Sometimes this happens with the typical exaggerated over reactions which plague many a manga, but in Noragami they somehow don’t feel forced or out of place. This is clearly because Adachitoka has a strong sense of when humor’s appropriate and when it’s not. Adachitoka also delivers one of the most horrifying character designs in the series with an absolutely nightmarish rendering of Izanami. The long hair and corpse like design continues the series trend of having some wonderfully creepy looking antagonists.

I have to admit, that one of the things that really draws me to Noragami is the large amount of wordplay, something that’s emphasized and always a treat to read about in the translation notes from Alethea and Athena Nibley. Their notes provide an interesting look into the sometimes ridiculous complex process of translation, while also helping to flesh out some of the surrounding myths, folklore or religious beliefs that might confuse some Western readers. The notes about the character’s names have been fascinating throughout the series’ run and I still enjoy reading them in these volumes.

From the get go I’ve been charmed by Noragami and with volumes 10 – 12, the spell that Adachitoka has weaved with Yato’s adventures continues to entice and entertain. With interesting characters, ace world building, creepy antagonists and solid action scenes, Noragami is that horror/adventure shonen manga I never knew I wanted.

Noragami, Vols. 10 – 12 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

In the future mankind has taken to the stars, colonized other worlds and explored the vast reaches of space. There are few names known throughout the cosmos, but Emeraldas is one of them. A mysterious woman, alone aboard her massive ship The Queen Emeraldas, she eternally travels the sea of stars for reasons known only to herself. Created by the legendary Leiji Matsumoto, Queen Emeraldas, Vol. 1 represents one of the rare instance of his work coming to the U.S. thanks to translator Zack Davisson and the fine folks at Kodansha Comics.

Throughout the volume Emeraldas is portrayed as a mysterious and tragic figure, compelled by an unknown event in her past to travel the space ways in search of something. She presents a fairly compelling and almost otherworldly figure, one who’s shown to be capable of nearly anything and whose mere name is enough to send people running. She’s deeply intriguing and I immediately wanted to know more about her, so you can imagine my dismay when I discovered that the first volume is only partially about her.

Her eyes…!

For much of the book we’re stuck with a far less likable figure in the form of Hiroshi Umino, a young boy with dreams of traveling through space. That might make him sound like a plucky underdog who we can get behind and it’s clearly what Matsumoto wanted, but sadly that isn’t the case. Umino comes off as an unlikeable jack rude and also someone we’re clearly supposed to sympathize with despite his being a complete jerk. He treats everyone he encounters horribly and is hardheaded to the point where he’d be dead if it wasn’t for the unearned generosity of others. It’s one of the more baffling aspects of the volume. Nearly everyone he encounters ends up liking him despite his dickish attitude and they do so to absolutely ludicrous extremes. He’s clearly the weakest link in the series, but it seems like we’re stuck with him for the foreseeable future.

The artwork is lovely and Matsumoto’s layouts are surprisingly dense and do a fantastic job at ramping up tension and conveying a sense of disorientation that verges on the dreamlike at times. This is reinforced by Davisson’s translation which, as many others have pointed out, feels almost lyrical or musical at times. The artwork is clearly aged, but it holds up pretty well and Emeraldas’ character design and ship design are both memorable and instantly recognizable. Matsuomoto’s imbue’s Emeraldas’ eyes with powerful emotions that resonate despite the series age and the older looking artwork. At times her gaze is almost breathtaking.

Queen Emeraldas, Vol. 1 is a rare glimpse at the work of a classic manga creator who isn’t Tezuka. Those with an interest in the history of the medium owe it to themselves to pick this up. Even those who might not necessarily enjoy classic works may find themselves drawn in by the amazing mood and atmosphere that Davisson’s translation and Matsumoto’s artwork help build. It’d be nearly perfect if it wasn’t for that Umino. One can only hope that he won’t stick around for much longer.

Queen Emeralds, Vol. 1 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copiy provided by the publisher.

It’s the showdown readers have been waiting for! The Survey Corps attempt to retake Shinganshina district and repair the hole in the Wall Maria, but standing in their way are the two titans who have plagued them since the first volume: The Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan. Add the enigmatic Beast Titan to the mix and the Survey Corps could be facing their last stand. All this ,plus the anime adaption of Levi’s backstory, awaits in Attack on Titan: Special Editions, Vols. 18 + 19 from Hajime Isayama!

Much of volume 18 serves as set up for the showdown in 19. Isayama gives Eren and company time to recover from the massive events of the previous volumes, the over throwing of the government and the truth behind the royal family, which means we’re treated to some surprisingly silly moments. Much of the volume is split between a party and a lengthy flashback. The party provides us with some comedic moments, while also allowing Isayama to give us a rather touching moment between Eren, Armin and Mikasa where their chemistry and friendship shine though. It’s contrasted nicely against Levi, who listens in from the shadows. One can’t help but think that the trio reminds him of his friends from No Regrets. Their relationship is something we saw a lot of earlier in the series, but as the group’s been split up or engaged in battles for quite a while, revisiting it was a smart move before throwing them into battle once more. Meanwhile, the flashback sheds more light on Eren’s family while also delving into some philosophical talk about whether people are special and what it means if they are. While the flashback is nice, the philosophical meanderings of the series has never really been its strong point and this is no different. The story grinds to a hault during these moments. Thankfully they’re not terribly long and are followed up by some much lighter fare.

Hajime Isayama showing off his fondness for MMA style fights.

Much like volume 18 was talking and flashbacks, volume 19 is action, action and more action. The operation to retake Shinganshina and repair Wall Maria dominate the volume and Isayama treats readers to some intense and satisfying action scenes as the Titans and Survey Corp clash in a showdown that’s been a long time in the making.

Throughout the series its been clear that Isayama’s artwork has slowly been improving and that change and improvement is still here. Character anatomy seems tighter and the backgrounds nicely detailed, with geography and location playing an important part in the fights. Isayama’s visual strength has always been the intensity he imbues into characters movements and that’s on full display here. Indeed, there are some moments in volume 19 which rank among the best action scenes and memorable splash pages the series has offered.

Like the previous Special Edition releases for the series, these two volumes come with several extras. Each one includes a slipcover by a different American artist, with Cameron Stewart turning in the cover for vol. 18 while Paolo Riveria handles vol. 19. Each one also includes part of the Attack on Titan: No Regrets an anime adaption of material from the Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Vols. 1 + 2 manga series, detailing Levi’s introduction into the Survey Corps. While there are some minor differences between the two series, it’s nothing major. The inclusion of the DVD’s here are also very timely as the manga volumes toss in several flashbacks to events from it which may be a little confusing if readers aren’t familiar with this material.

For the past four or five volumes Attack on Titan has been nothing but major event, major event and major event and these two volumes don’t really do much to change that. The down time in volume 18 is really needed and it’s fantastic to spend some time with these characters out of combat. It’s a nice bit of quiet before the storm. That storm, so far, seems to be living up to its promise as Hajime Isayama delivers the high stakes anything can happen feel that made the series such a hit at the start.

Attack on Titan: Special Edition, Vols. 18 + 19 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Real Account is the social network that’s taking Japan by storm! Nearly everyone is using and Ataru Kashiwagi is no different. Shy and quiet, Ataru uses Real Account to help find solace from his lonely life. This plans works, but when a mysterious being known as Marble takes over Real Account and transports thousands of its users into the site, forcing them to compete in a series of games related to the social networking site, Ataru’s social awkwardness becomes a matter of life and death. From Okushou and Shizumu Watanabe comes Real Account!

Real Account, Vols. 1 + 2 attempts to add social commentary to the popular “trapped in a game” genre and the results are decidedly mixed. The basic idea is that someone’s seized control of the site and is now forcing the users to compete against each other for their own survival. The catch is that if one of the contestants dies, then their “friends” on the site die as well. Each competition is designed around a function of social networking in our modern day and age. Marble forces people to compete in contests of looks, to keep friends, by digging up embarrassing or humiliating posts and more.

The series wastes little time in getting to the hook. Readers are introduced to Ataru and he’s almost immediately sucked into Marble’s weird and twisted competition and Real Account never lets up from there. The plot itself moves at a near break neck speed with Ataru, and a small circle of allies, being whisked from one contest to another with no time for anyone to really catch their breath. The deaths come fast and the series quickly establishes the idea of no character truly being safe.

Unfortunately the social commentary feels a bit shallow and basic. It covers territory and uses some of the same criticisms that people have been making about the internet since the 90s. Things like “how many of your online friends are really your friends?” and attempts to highlight hypocrisy by bringing out people’s flaws and weak moments where they vent online, or by playing up whether or not everyone online is a big fat liar or not. It’s all pretty basic stuff and while it doesn’t get in the way of the story it doesn’t really lend it the amount of depth you’d hope for.

Shizumu Watanabe’s artwork is serviceable but unspectacular. One of the notable things about the artwork though, is how he varies up the faces and the character designs to help reinforce the shallow aspects of social networking sites. It’s lovely to see characters with faces that have some variation in their shape and profile. For the most part, though, the character designs are fairly middle of the road and aren’t terribly memorable. This is something that plagues the rest of the books visuals as well. They’re serviceable, but there’s nothing that really jumps out at you or sticks with you. Even Marble’s design feels a bit lacking.

In the end Real Account, Vols. 1 + 2 is a fairly middle of the road series. It’s ok and has a few entertaining bits, but there’s nothing really notable about it and the characters just aren’t interesting or engaging enough to really hold attention. The pacing is solid, making it a quick and easy read, just not one that really grabs you or pulls you in.

Real Account, Vols. 1 + 2 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

As Shoya continues to struggle with his guilt for bullying Shoko his circle of friends continues to grow, expanding to include more former classmates and even a few newcomers. Unfortunately, thing’s aren’t as peaceful as they appear and the past continues to haunt Shoya in new and unexpected ways, threatening to tear his new, burgeoning friendships apart. Will Shoya ever find what he’s looking for, or will his inability to forgive himself doom him to a life of solitude? Yoshitoki Oima’s amazing story reaches its climax with A Silent Voice, Vols. 4 – 7.

Yoshitoki Oima’s done a fantastic job crafting enjoyable and realistic characters, dealing with incredibly heavy themes of bullying and shame, and keeping the tone light enough to not become oppressively depressing or disheartening. These final four volumes continue to delve into Shoko and Shoya’s lives and relationship, but we also get a single volume dedicated to fleshing out the rest of the cast as well. It’s a huge help and does wonders for the supporting cast, a few of whom were little more than blank slates before this. She also takes the opportunity to delve into the dissolution of Shoya’s family, something that’s incredibly emotional and also brings to the forefront an underlying theme that’s been in the series since it started. Namely, the way people react to disabled individuals.

From the get go A Silent Voice has touched upon this, going so far as to show professors criticizing disabled students as an imposition and a burden. When Yoshitoki Oima shows Shoko’s family coming to an end, it’s made clear how some people view the disabled and even those who give birth to the disabled. It’s an incredibly brutal and heart wrenching scene, but one which echoes throughout the series and even into the final few volumes. Shoko’s father and his family espouse views we’ve heard from other students and teachers, showing that this isn’t simply a problem that exists in the isolation of the schoolyard, but one that’s present through the larger society as a whole.

A Silent Voice works, not only thanks to Yoshitoki Oima’s fantastic writing, but also her amazing art. Whether it’s her use of X’s over peoples faces to represent Shoya’s inability to connect or befriend others, or the lines around chubby Tomohiro’s body everytime Naoko, one of Shoya and Shoko’s former classmates, is around to denote his fear of her, Oima’s artwork manages to convey the emotionally fragility of the character’s mental states beautfilly.

Yoshitoki Oima’s done an absolutely amazing job with A Silent Voice and has crafted one of the best manga series to hit the U.S. in years. While it’s been receiving much critical praise, the series still feels like something of an overlooked gem. It totally deserves the praise it’s getting and is easily one of my favorite releases from Kodansha. With it’s conclusion, I’m very curious to see what else Yoshitoki Oima’s done and whether or not any of it will land stateside. If her other work is anything like this, then they absolutely should.

A Silent Voice, Vols. 4 – 7 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Meet Nagisa Kataura. To most she’s a typical office worker, but her close friends know another side of her, that of a dedicated cosplayer! For years she’s kept these two worlds separate from each other, keeping her cosplay life away from her family life and work life, but time and age seem to be conspiring to force her to choose between her two lives. From Yui Sakuma comes the award winning Complex Age, Vol. 1!

In Complex Age, Vol. 1 Yui Sakuma crafts an engaging story focused on the life of Nagisa Kataura, a long term and hardcore cosplayer, and how her hobby affects her life and her social interactions. The amount of time and effort she puts into her cosplay hobby is on full display, as is the toll it takes on her day to day life. She stays up all night to add a single design element to an outfit, is worn out and sleepy at work, spends nearly all her money on materials and lives with her parents, keeping all of her cosplay gear stowed away and hidden from sight. She’s keenly aware of how the rest of society views cosplayers and is also becoming aware of how her age sets her apart from the cosplay scene itself, something dominated by younger women and teenage girls. This is something that’s bound to strike a chord with older readers, that societal pressure of being an adult and deeply invested in something that society considers for children.

The more you know!

One of the really fun things about Complex Age, Vol. 1, beyond the fantastic premise and themes, is the fact that Yui Sakuma created an entire fictional magical girl series for the main characters to obsess and cosplay as. In the back of the book are several pages of extras featuring concept art for the fictional magical girl series along with little story, plot and character summaries. The costumes are lovely and frilly and lacy, exactly what you’d expect from a magical girl series, and I was left wondering if there are any fans in Japan cosplaying these characters. I half expect to hear about Yui Sakuma doing a spin off series based on this magical girl series she created for Nagisa to obsess over.

Also included is the one-shot “pilot” manga for the series. While it does have a similar theme and concept, the characters and their situations are different enough to make it a nice extra. Hopefully the ending of the main series won’t be as depressing as the pilot’s conclusion.

Complex Age is off to a strong start. A series examining ones hobbies, their importance, the way society at large may view them and what it’s like to be aging and into something that’s traditionally considered a young persons game. Despite not being into cosplay myself, the central theme of being into something that most people consider the domain of the younger generation resonated and the insecurity and self doubt Nagisa displayed is bound to strike a chord in anyone over the age of 24 with a niche hobby or interest. This continues the trend of Kodansha Comics cranking out some really engaging material aimed a slightly older audience.

Complex Age, Vol. 1 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

So Tobita’s Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth – Side: P3, Vols. 1 + 2 is an adaption of the similarly titled Atlus game featuring a crossover between the two most popular installments of their Persona game franchise. Focusing on the Persona 3 characters, this two volume manga sees the characters trapped in a mysterious world with no choice but to delve into the bizarre Alice in Wonderland styled maze in the hope of finding a way back to their own world.

This is clearly designed for fans of the Persona game series and isn’t the easiest things for newcomers to get into. Right from the start half a dozen characters are thrown at us with only the most basic introduction and it’s clear that their relationships are already established and readers are left to puzzle it all out in a sink or swim fashion. One immediately noticeable issue with the series is that the nameless “Leader” lacks any personality at all and everyone else is as one note as you can possibly get. While nearly all of the characters featured in the first volume are from the Persona 3 game, there are apparently two new characters introduced who seem intimately linked to this new mysterious world. Sadly they’re not terribly interesting either and both are little more than cyphers, even after two volumes. To make things even more complicated, the second volume throws in the characters from Persona 4, meaning that we’re stuck with nearly a dozen different characters running around and with almost no backstory for any of them for those not already familiar with them.

If this sounds bad it gets even worse, because there’s absolutely no resolution to the story or any of its mysteries. It just kind of peters out and readers are presumably intended to go out and buy the game to find out whether our heroes make it home and find out what’s going on in the first place.

They’re all so cute!

At least Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth – Side P3 has some adorable looking artwork going for it. Under So Tobita’s pen everyone is pretty damn adorably, including the weird shadows, monsters that the characters encounter. They’re so adorable that it really works against any attempt to build drama or tension, but at least they’e nice to look at. The backgrounds are the usual vaguely defined white space with the odd checkerboard floor, bush or wall tossed in. This does make things a bit bland and also takes away from the idea of them being stuck in some bizarre Alice in Wonderland inspired world.

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth – Side: P3, Vols. 1 + 2 are kind of a mess. The lack of characterization, the absolutely adorable looking artwork and the lack of a resolution all combine to create a series that feels like little more than a trailer for the game. Fans of the franchises involved may get some enjoyment out of seeing their favorite characters in this medium, but newcomers will find a muddled, bland and forgettable read full of flat characters and a story that ultimately goes nowhere.

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth – Side: P3, Vols. 1 + 2 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Are you a fan of Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail and wondered what Grey, the resident ice mage, was like as a kid? If so, then Kodansha Comics has the manga for you! From Yuusuke Shirato and Hiro Mashima comes Fairy Tail: Ice Trail, a two volume story about the Grey’s childhood adventures as he sets out on the path that ultimately leads him to Fairy Tail!

While Fairy Tail: Ice Trail does fill in a few blanks, mostly about how he ended up at Fairy Tail, it doesn’t really break any new ground or offer any new or shocking insights into Grey’s past. Further, since Grey’s fate is already known to us there’s not a whole lot of tension or suspense to the stories in these two volumes. His story also suffers from a weird emotional disconnect. It’s set a short time after Grey lost several people close to him, but throughout most of these two volumes he seems perfectly fine and untroubled. At one point he does show crack a little, but it’s short lived and immediately afterwards he’s back to his upbeat, high energy self like nothing really happened.

Somebody gon’ get their wig split…

Yuusuke Shirato is apparently one of Hiro Mashima’s assistants and it shows. His art in Ice Trail is reminiscent of Mashima’s but feels looser and more kinetic in places. His action sequences are pretty impressive and high energy affairs, but at times they suffer from a lack of clarity. Certain panels are overstuffed with voice bubbles, sound effects, speediness, etc. Tight shots meant to show impact can be muddled and unclear at times, breaking the momentum and hurting the flow of the action. His character and monster designs seem like a perfect fit for the world of Fairy Tail and the supporting characters and new villains would feel right at home alongside those in the main book.

Fairy Tail: Ice Trail really feels like a safe read. There’s no real risk or real tension and comes off as standard shonen-y action adventure fare. Hardcore fans who just can’t get enough Fairy Tail, or fans desperate to see more of Grey in general will clearly get the most out of this, but even they may find it lacking since nothing really important happens. Most will probably see it for what it is though, a fairly bland and forgettable read with some ok art.

Fairy Tail: Ice Trail, Vols. 1 + 2 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

When new girl, Mikoto Urabe, arrives in Akira Tsubaki’s high school class things start to get weird. Soon Akira finds himself in a relationship with the mysterious Urabe. From Riichi Ueshiba comes the adult romantic comedy, Mysterious Girlfriend X, Vol. 1, the manga behind the 2012 anime series of the same name.

If the first volume is anything to go by, then Mysterious Girlfriend X, Vol. 1 is a fairly straight forward tale of young love and the awkward excitement that comes with a first relationship. Throughout the volume Urabe and Tsubaki grow closer, spend time with each other as their relationship slowly develops. This isn’t really new ground, there are many series that follow a similar premise. What really sets Mysterious Girlfriend X apart is the twist.

Drool.

Yes, drool.

EWWWWWWW

In one stomach turning moment, Tsubaki’s relationship with Urabe begins when he decides to basically lick her drool off of a school desk. Apparently Urabe’s drool is akin to heroine and Tsubaki quickly finds himself jonsing for more as he suffers withdrawal symptoms. Urabe realizes what he’s done and that’s basically the framework for the series. It’s not just a weird hook, but also a metaphor for their feelings and desires for each other, sexual awakening, the feeling out process and more. The drool isn’t just a weird one off hook, it’s a constant in the series and nearly every chapter features a scene of Urabe feeding it to Tsubaki in what becomes a rather repulsive ritual.

While the idea of swapping spit isn’t really shocking, it happens every time people make out, licking and sucking it off a desk or off of someone’s finger is pretty nasty. The artwork doesn’t help matters. The drool is usually thick and sticky and seems to resemble another type of bodily secretions, reinforcing its nature as a sexual metaphor. Despite these gross moments, Riichi Ueshiba’s artwork is actually pretty fantastic. He crams detail after detail into each panel, resulting in a wonderfully realized and grounded world for the rather weird love story. There’s a great sense of weight and texture to the work, the character’s winter clothes look heavier and warmer, meanwhile the city backgrounds have a lived in feel to them. There are a few weird dream sequences which is where he really gets to flex his muscles by creating huge, sprawling splash pages or two page spreads featuring a dream world crammed full of interesting looking figures and buildings and signage. This is all a welcome change from the many other romantic comedy series which often take place in a white space devoid of everything but passing clouds of toning.

Gifted with some solid comedy and relationship building, not to mention some really great artwork, Mysterious Girlfriend X, Vol. 1 is tainted by it’s drool gimmick. It’s including interrupts and derails what would be an otherwise perfectly acceptable romantic comedy and even it’s symbolic meaning doesn’t detract from how nasty it is. It’s inclusion feels like a shock tactic done to attract attention, which is a shame because it’s detracts from a pretty de cent read.

Mysterious Girlfriend X, Vol. 1 is available now from Vertical Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.